BREATHE YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

All of us understand the importance of breathing. We do it every day without much conscious thought as we know it is important for our survival. Breathing is the rhythmic process of moving air in and out of the lungs and is involuntarily performed. A life giving source, how we breathe can help our bodies function well and stay healthy.

“Breathing exercises help the body recover from a tiring day as well as improve your mood”- Ms. NEHA MANN, PSYCHOLOGIST, Apollo Clinic, Indirapuram

Many of us are over-worked, stressed, sleep deprived and need immediate help without worrying about ending up in a therapist’s chair at some point in our life. The best way to find the perfect body-mind balance, remove stress and also be fit is by doing breathing exercises. Breathing exercises help the body recover from a tiring day like nothing else will as well as improve your mood. Some of the other benefits of these age old exercises include:

There are a number of breathing exercises that can be practised on a daily basis to improve your health. Practice some of these exercises to relieve stress and improve your quality of life. To know more about breathing exercises and their benefits, visit your nearest Apollo Clinic today.

• The stimulating breath – This exercise will make you feel invigorated and full of energy. In this exercise, inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose keeping your breaths equal in duration. Try for three in-and-out breath cycles per second. Breathe normally after each cycle. Do not do this for more than 15 seconds on your first try, increasing the time to a full minute gradually.
• The relaxing breath exercise – This simple exercise can be done anywhere so long as there is place to sit and a wall for back support. Place the tip of your tongue behind the ridge of your teeth. For the exercise, exhale through your mouth. Inhale through your nose to a count of four, hold your breath to the count of seven and exhale through the mouth to the count of eight. The whole 4-7-8 breathing technique applies to one breath. Repeat the cycle three times.
• Alternate nostril breathing – This exercise is said to have a calming effect on the body and balances the mind. To do this exercise, hold the right thumb over the right nostril and inhale through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with the ring finger and exhale through the left nostril. Continue the process.